Clunker Give and Take

Linda Mitchell, librarian, poet, and collage artist, enjoys sending out clunker lines to other writers.  According to Linda, "a clunker is a line or lines that didn't work in a particular poem". Periodically, she invites Poetry Friday writers to create a poem from one of her clunker lines. 

After taking a look through Linda's clunkers, I settled on one line, "daisies nod hello springy stems". The line immediately brought me back to my high school senior prom. During my teen years, I adored daisies, but not only the typical daisy with white petals and a yellow circle in the center. I dreamed of a bouquet of multicolored daisies that would match the gorgeous gown my mother made for me. Since that time, I have enjoyed the simple appearance of a daisy. It evokes joyful feelings. In exchange for Linda's clunker, I sent the following thought, "a harbor of shared memories". Her thoughts rose into a fine poem (click here).                     

With Linda's clunker line, daisies nod hello springy stems, I created a poem for springtime.

photo by LAWJR, Pixabay

Daisies blush after morning dew;

Bask in sunshine, wake anew.

Daisies nod hello springy stems,

And bow to spring's greentone gems.

Songs of springtime freshen the air.

Waiting for summer's  goldenwear.

Daisies dance to sunshines's  tunes.

Offer their gifts.

Nature swoons!

©CV, Summer 2025

💖

Teenage Love

"I will  go pick daisies and have a happy heart." - Kimber Annie Engstrom

Why do daises

Fill my heart with memories?

Flash back to my teenage years.

I sent you my heart

And a bouquet of daisies

Let's dance the prom night away.

©CV, Summer 2:025, sedoka 

Sedoka Guidelines from Writer's Digest:

• Two three-line stanzas
• Five syllables in the first line and seven syllables in the second line
• First stanza is a question by one lover
• Second stanza is an answer by the other
• It's traditionallly a love poem.

I am checking in with Heidi Mordhorst, the host of Poetry Friday this week. She has news, an annoucement of The Nature of Our Times anthology. Congratulations, Heidi. One of her poems was submitted for the online Gallery to be in the print book.

🌞

Summer Invitation:

In 2018 I created a global Gallery titled The Art of Summering. 

7 years later, I invite writers,  photographers, digital artists, teachers, and students to join me next week at my blog, Beyond LiteracyLink, since I will host Poetry Friday on August 22nd. I would enjoy reading your interpretation of your 2025 summering experience. I will showcase each person's work at my blog  presentation or in a presentation.